Getting to Know Your Friends - Christmas Edition!

OK, so I decided not to do this as an e-mail, but to post it here on my blog. I've been at a loss lately for things to write about, and since Christmas is one of my favorite holidays I thought this might start getting me in the Christmas spirit!


Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.


Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to you......Tis the Season to be NICE!



1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I utilize both depending on the gift!

2. Real tree or Artificial? I am actually allergic to the real ones, but we're having a live tree this year. In the U.S. we normally have an artificial one though.

3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? The day after New Years!

5. Do you like eggnog? I do! I prefer the Land O'Lakes bought brand!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? That would probably have to be my Barbie Dream House and 57' Chevy Convertible! I think it was my brother's fave too, but for different reasons. He would prop my barbies up in the house and then shoot at them with his Ninja Turtle Pizza Thrower!!!

7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband is by far the most difficult person I have to buy for! And you can never get him to tell you what he would like either! Talk about frustrating!

8. Easiest person to buy for? My Dad is most definitely the easiest person on my Christmas list. His gifts involve a trip to Lowe's Home Improvement store! A bonus really because I love most everything in that store myself!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both! I will take cards anyway I get them. Of course I always buy a ton of cards and mail them off to everyone I know!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I really don't know. I usually love everything that I get!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas is a must watch, and then of course all of the old Christmas cartoon movies like Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snow Man..and etc. are also on my to watch list!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I started today actually! I've been online shopping for my family in the U.S. all day, almost!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My Grandmother's Chicken and dressing! Yum!

16. Lights on the tree? Of course! We use colored lights one year and then white the next.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Don't make me choose!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? These days I do both, but there is nothing like being all cozy at home for Christmas!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen! And of course you can't exclude Rudolph, the most famous reindeer of all!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We do both..just depends what we're in the mood to use!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Here in Finland you open your gifts of Christmas Eve and visit on Christmas day. At home in the U.S. though my family opens gifts on Christmas day!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Last minute shopping! You can never find what you need when you need it!

23. What theme or color are you using? It just depends on what decorations we want to use!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Traditional meal shared with my family!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Just to be with my family having a nice time! I don't really need things. I never ask for anything.

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Probably someone who wants to take a Christmas survey!

27. Who is least likely to respond to this? Someone who doesn't want to take a Christmas Survey?!?

Stressed at Work

I stole this from a myspace bulletin someone posted! I thought it was cute!



I urgently needed a few days off work, But, I knew the Boss would not allow me to take leave.


I thought that maybe if I acted 'Crazy' then he would tell me to take a few days off. So, I hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises. My co-worker (who's blonde) asked me what I was doing.


I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb, so that the Boss might think I was 'Crazy' and give me a few days off.


A few minutes later the Boss came into the office and asked, 'What in the name of good GOD are you doing? ' I told him I was a light bulb. He said, 'You are clearly stressed out.' Go home and recuperate for a couple of days.' I jumped down and walked out of the office...

When my co-worker (the blonde) followed me, the Boss asked her, 'And where do you think you're going?!' (You're gonna love this....) She said, 'I'm going home too. I can't work in the dark.
'

A Crap-tastic Morning!

Since beginning my class I have had to ride the bus everyday. Now that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it saves loads of money, but you have to deal with interesting characters when you choose this form of transportation. My morning started out like every other morning, but changed rapidly! A guy who had issues (it was very noticeable) got on the bus and sat two or three seats behind me. He was obviously suffering from some sinus issues since he kept making extremely loud and obnoxious sucking noises during the first half of the trip. Flash forward about 4 minutes, a little old lady decides to exit the bus so she pushed the 'Stop' button and moved to the door. This guy hops up and rushes to the door as well. I thought he was also getting off of the bus, but instead of leaving when the door opened he spits. When I say spit, I mean almost the size of a golf ball gob of gunk! It almost hit the poor little old woman who was getting off of the bus. She turned back and gave him a look that could literally kill!

So homefry doesn't get off the bus. That is fine. Sometimes people don't have to. Whatever! There were only about 8 people left on the bus after the little old lady he almost spit on got off. He could have chosen to sit anywhere else on the bus, but as lady luck would have it he picked my seat. Lucky me! Now, I know this fellow has issues, but he smelled as though he had not showered in days. Most likely he hadn't. So he is sitting beside me and whips out this digital camera and begins to take pictures of people as they enter and exit the bus. Most of them were not amused. He was also mumbling incoherently to himself in broken Finnish. Oh joy! Then he gets the bright idea to begin just pushing the 'Stop' button. Did he get off of the bus? Nope! When the bus driver would pull over to the nearest stop and open the doors this guy would lean forward in our seat and take pictures of road signs and trees. After the 3rd time the bus driver fussed at him very loudly. The guy shouted back and the only word I could make out that he was saying was teacher (opettaja). At this point he begins to cry, leans over, props his elbow up on my leg and starts looking through the pictures on his camera. This lasts for a good 10 minutes. Then he decided to begin pushing the 'Stop' button again. Again the bus driver, who was an older guy, shouted at him again. At this point the guy beside me screamed back. Again, why!!?? At least he was no longer propped up on my leg (which still is a little sore from his elbow).

Moving along, the bus driver resumes driving and then I begin to hear awful, graphic, loud grunting and straining noises coming from beside me. A second later I was met by a noxious odor. This 22/23 year old, retarded guy crapped in his pants! On the bus. Right. Beside. Me! I thought I was going to toss my cookies right then and there! I had to breathe through my mouth until he got off of the bus, which was 3 stops before I got off of the bus. As soon as I got off of the bus I broke out my hand sanitizer and used about half of the bottle. When I got to school I headed straight to the bathroom and scrubbed my hands in very hot water. Now I know I did not actually touch this guy, but I felt dirty. Thanks to him I have felt that way all day. Luckily the rest of my day was pretty nice. I love my classmates!!!! :-)

So...how was your morning commute?!? :-p

PuppyCam

A couple with 6 Shiba Inu puppies installed a Puppy Cam in there home in order to keep an eye on their puppies while at work, and it has turned into sort of a craze! I am guilty of spying on the little guys myself. They are just so cute! If you are an animal lover you'll enjoy seeing their antics!

A Happy Day!

I passed my Finnish Level 1 test from Friday! I am also pretty sure that my instructor told me that I would be in the Finnish Level 2 course that begins this Friday. I made 91% on this final test. It had all of the information we have been going over in class on it, so I am pretty pleased. Of course I made plenty of dumb mistakes, but I can only learn from them. I was told that my writing was really good and that I just needed to talk more in Finnish. Guess that means the hubby is really going to have to start speaking to me in Finnish more!

What Have You Done Lately?!?

I found this on ElleBee's page, and I stole it because it looked like fun!



Copy and highlight the ones you have done!

Swam with wild dolphin
Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
Been inside a Pyramid--Does the Luxor count?
Held a tarantula--not in a million years!
Taken a candle lit bath
Said I love you and meant it
Hugged a Tree
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightening storm at sea
Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
Seen the Northern Lights
Gone to a huge sports game
Walked the stairs to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Grown and eaten your own vegetables
Touched an iceberg
Slept under the stars
Changed a baby’s diaper
Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
Watched a meteor shower
Gotten drunk on champagne
Given more than you can afford to charity
Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
Had a food fight
Bet on a winning horse
Asked out a stranger
Had a snowball fight
Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
Held a lamb
Seen a total eclipse
Ridden a rollercoaster
Hit a home run
Danced like a fool, not caring who watched
Adopted an accent for an entire day (well I tried at least!)
Actually felt happy about your life, even for a moment
Had two hard drives for your computer
Visited all 50 states--close, but only 37
Taken care of someone who was too drunk
Had amazing Friends-- still do!
Danced with a Stranger in a foreign country
Watched wild whales
Stolen a sign
Hitchhiked in Europe
Taken a road-trip
Gone rock climbing
Midnight walk on the beach
Gone sky diving
Visited Ireland
Been heartbroken longer than you were in love
In a restaurant sat at a stranger’s table and ate with them
Milked a cow (It is not as easy as it looks!)
Alphabetized your CDs
Pretended to be a superhero
Sung karaoke
Lounged around in bed all day
Posed nude in front of strangers
Gone scuba diving
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Played in the rain
Gone to a drive-in theater
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
Toured ancient sites
Taken a martial arts class
Played a computer game for more than 6 hours straight
Gotten married
Been in a movie
Crashed a party
Gotten divorced
Gone without food for 5 days
Made cookies from scratch
Won first prize in a costume contest
Ridden a gondola in Venice
Gotten a tattoo--not in this lifetime!
Rafted the Snake River
Been on television news program as an “expert”
Got flowers for no reason
Performed on a stage
Been to Las Vegas--got married there!
Recorded Music
Eaten shark
Had a one-night stand
Gone to Thailand
Bought a house
Been in a combat zone
Buried one/both of your parents
Been on a cruise ship
Spoken more than one language fluently
Performed in Rocky Horror
Raised children -Still at it.
Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
Picked up and moved to another city
Walked on the Golden Gate Bridge
Sang loudly in the car and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
Had plastic surgery
Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have
Wrote articles for a large publication
Lost over 100 lbs
Held someone while they were having a flashback
Piloted an airplane
Petted a stingray
Broken someone’s heart
Helped an animal give birth
Won money on a TV game show
Broken a bone
Gone on an African safari
Had a body part below the neck pierced
Fired a rifle, shotgun or pistol (more times than I can possibly count!)
Eaten mushrooms gathered in the wild
Ridden a horse
Had major surgery
Had a snake as a pet
Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Slept for more than 30 hours over 48 consecutive hours
Visited more foreign countries than US States
Visited all 7 continents
Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
Eaten Kangaroo meat
Eaten sushi--every chance I get!
Had your picture in the paper
Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
Gone back to school
Parasailed
Petted a cockroach—who the heck PETS cockroaches?!
Eaten fried green tomatoes
Read the Illiad
Selected one important author who you missed in school to read
Killed and prepared an animal for eating
Skipped all of your school reunions
Communicated with someone without sharing a common language (I do this on a daily basis now, or so it would seem!)
Been elected to public office
Written your own computer language
Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
Had to put someone you love in hospice care
Build your own PC from parts
Sold your own artwork to someone that didn’t know it was yours
Had a booth in a street fair
Dyed your hair
Been a DJ
Shaved your head
Caused a car accident
Saved someone’s life

Finnish 1 Final Exam

Tomorrow is the written portion of my Finnish Level 1 Final Exam! On Wednesday I had to go and take the speaking portion. I did not think it went so well, but the teacher I had to speak for said that I was only a Finnish 1 student, so I really did not do that bad. I just hope I did well enough!!! I am keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow will go well. I have had a "reading day" today, so I have been able to stay home and study. For the last 6 hours that is all I have done. I feel confident in some areas, and no so confident in others. That is normal though. I mean the worst that can happen is I not pass and have to retake the Finnish 1 course over again. LOL, and a refresher course can't be bad, right?!? Gee, I sure wish my Finnish husband would help me study more!! :-) Minä rakastan sinua, Kai! I know I must drive him crazy with all of my questions, but he married me and it is his duty to help me learn this difficult language! At least that is what I keep telling him! :-) Ah, it's back to studying for me!!!

It's Election Day!

So go vote!